Got a girl you love? {#Magnetic Giveaway}

Each night when I pray for my beautiful girl, I want her to hear me thanking God for who she is and for the gift of being her mom! I want her to know she is wanted and valued. That I miss her when we’re not together. I want her to know she’s not a side-item on my very full plate, but she is my heart’s delight and dessert! And you know what? She’s thinks I’m pretty amazing too?

Well… at least for now.

But I’ve been a mommy before. And I know a day is coming when there will be competition for my girl’s attention.

More than me. More than her daddy. More than her big brothers. One day Aster is going to want a guy to want her, to pursue her, to choose her.

And when it happens, I don’t want to panic and wish I could do something to get her to stop chasing after some guy, hoping he’ll notice her. I want her to know…

She’s already been noticed.

She’s already captured Someone’s heart.

She’s already beingpursued.

And even though Aster is only five and a half years old, I’m realizing that now is the time for me to start planting these truths in her heart. But it wasn’t until I read my friend Lynn Cowell’s new book “Magnetic: Becoming the Girl He Wants,“ that I realized I needed help to get started.

Lynn’s new book is for girls (and their moms) to walk alongside and help them discover how to become the best version of the beautiful girl God created her to be. There is so much I love about this message. And that is why I wanted to share with you an excerpt from Chapter One today {and I’ve got 3 copies to give away too!}:

“Why doesn’t he like me? I just couldn’t figure it out.

What is it about me that isn’t as attractive as her? Am I not as pretty? Am I too loud? Are my friends not cool enough? The questions gnawed at me, eating away at my confidence. He had liked me once,; surely I could get him to like me again. There had to be a way.

I was determined to find out what was wrong with me.

Back in my own “wish I were dating” days, my highs and lows depended on whether or not I saw him in the hall; my happiness was determined by whether or not he noticed me. The crush I had was crushing me.

I wish there had been someone who could have helped me…someone who could have helped me understand that the longing in my heart pointed not to my need for a guy, but to my deeper need for something, Someone, even greater.

How I wish I had known sooner that I was created to be loved perfectly and unconditionally, made to have my heart filled each and every day with love from the perfect Man – Jesus.

Then I could have spent my time, energy, and emotions, not on a guy I didn’t have, but on the One I did. I could have moved from obsessing over why I wasn’t wanted to becoming the type of girl a godly guy would want. Not just someone to date but someone he’d want to spend the rest of his life with.

I remember making the list, a gargantuan description of everything I was looking for in the guy I would marry one day. The more powerful list would have described the woman I wanted to become, the woman he couldn’t resist!

What would happen if you made the switch now? Shifted your focus off a guy and onto the Guy?

What if, together, we discovered an irresistible beauty deeper than designer clothes, jean sizes, and flaw-free skin? A confidence so attractive, nothing could cause us to lose it? A glamour simply magnetic?

In my quest to discover true beauty, I began to see gorgeous as much more than the face in my mirror. Gorgeous is not skin-deep but heart-deep, a beauty that develops as my heart discovers and returns True Love.

This beauty, this attractiveness, is found in the girl who has what I call “captivating characteristics”—what the Bible calls “the fruit of the Spirit.” These heart traits are described in Galatians 5:22–23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These magnetic traits are the result, or fruit, of the girl who has given her entire life to Jesus. The girl who spends her emotional energy allowing Him to live His life through her.

But, you don’t have to burn yourself out trying to become perfect. These gorgeous qualities will show up as you spend time with God and He pours His perspective into you!

When you’re “planted” in God, He provides all you need to reach your full potential—to be the best you you can be!

And, instead of chasing after the guy running from you, you’re pursuing the One coming after you. In the process of seeking His heart, you’ll become the amazing individual He designed you to be, a girl who is irresistibly magnetic, beautiful inside and out!

ENTER TO WIN:
Packed with honesty, encouragement and perspective-changing Magnetic, truth by Lynn Cowell,(available atAmazon, B&N, CBD, everywhere books are sold),will empower girls and young woman to reach their fullest potential by focusing on becoming who God made them to be! A girl who reflects God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. A girl who will attract the right type of guy one day: one who loves God with all his heart and who will cherish her!

Renee Swope is a Word-lover, story-teller, heart-encourager and grace-needer. She's also a wife, mom, friend, daughter and author of A Confident Heart, a Retailers Choice Award winning book that became a best-seller and has been published in six languages, with over 150,000 copies sold. Renee is speaks around the country at women's events and and serves on the writing team for DaySpring’s inCourage blog. For twenty years, Renee served in leadership at Proverbs 31 Ministries and as former co-host of the ministry's radio program, “Everyday Life with Lysa & Renee.

@Lyn I’m newly single at 37 after being married for 17 years. I need to learn this myself so I can practice what I preach to my 14 and 12 year old daughters! Blessings to you, it’s not an easy road we are on.

Lyn & Melanie – I am so sorry for this new journey you are on. I know your girls are taking in seeing you finding your strength & hope each and every day from Jesus! What a testimony will you will be to them!

Amen to your desire to teach God’s truth of value young! I started sharing with my two girls as soon as I could just how much Jesus wanted them and loved them. I have seen Jesus build a confidence in them that no amount of physical beauty could bring. He is the foundation of all confidence and true beauty. They are getting “Gorgeous is more than a face in the mirror.”

Every girl old or young needs to see herself as a daughter of The King and not as the world wants her to believe. It is so hard where the darts of the enemy and the media are constantly shooting us down.

Judy, as I share this message with young women, my husband reminds me it’s not just a young girl message…it a young and old, male and female message. We all need to know that we are adored, approved and accepted! You are so right!

I wish i knew that i was truely loved, wanted, and worthy. Because i didnt know this there were some unwise choices made. Now, i have an eight year old daughter that im working hard to get to know this. She doesnt have confidence and that is hard.

Just as you are learning you are truly loved, wanted and worthy, your girl can learn too!

One thing I am learning is that this is not a “once and done” with my kids. I have to keep pouring and pouring and pouring. And the great thing is that while I am pouring truth into them…I’m pouring truth into me too!

If only I had a book like this when I was a girl. I just went through a divorce after a 20 year marriage. He left me for someone else. That’s when I realized my whole identity was in who my husband said I was. My goal now is to discover who God says I am. I have a 10 year old daughter adopted from China who has now experienced being abandon twice. I’m going to teach her daily that her identity is in Christ. This book sounds like a perfect place to begin.

Susan – I am so sorry! You are so right – the power of knowing that our confidence and identity cannot be wrapped up in someone, someplace or something is invaluable. Jesus – the One who never changes!

I wish I had realized that what my friends thought or what “that guy” thought were not nearly as important as what God thought of my clothes, actions, etc. Inner beauty far outweighs what the world sees as beauty. Once you learn to let God love you as only He can, the rest all falls into place.

Joyce – my daughter is a senior in high school. Of course clothes, guys and all of that are all really important. She is reaching the point, though, where even if she doesn’t “fit in” – which because of her faith she doesn’t – she is still more than ok with herself. That is what I want for EVERY teen girl!

Leigh – starting early is so important! I looked at it this way – Disney was preaching their messages to my girls as soon as they were old enough to sit in front of a screen. I had to start doing the same 🙂

My oldest daughter made choices that were worldly. I want her to seek and know she is number one to God and he loves her more than any other guy or stuff can. She has two sisters that we desire they seek the Lord and feel his every lasting love.

Renae – our family has had our share of painful choices too. It has been a hard road to realize their free will is really powerful. I ask Jesus to help me pour His wisdom into their hearts and trust Him to make it real to them.

I would love to have this book to give to my pre-teen (12yr old) granddaughter! I am honored to be an instrument in encouraging her down the right path regarding relationships and her own self-worth; Two things I did not have growing up and had to learn on my own – by the grace of God!

Well this is perfect for this morning. I will give two thoughts. I was up late when we daughter called from college saying she thought her and her boyfriend were breaking up. She had dated a guy from high school and then went to college and after 5 years total together they broke up and although we were happy about it she was devastated and wouldn’t eat or drink and lost a lot of weight. We told her God had someone for her just specially for her and tried to get her to focus on that and also on the fact of what we saw were some major flags in the relationship. She now has dated a guy for several months and we love him and think he would make a wonderful son in law in the future. They did not break up but now there is concern. So..I think this book would be great for her to read. For me, when I was growing up although in a Christian home, my thoughts were very much on guys and having a boyfriend no matter who it was really. I would have loved to have had someone to mentor me and come beside me and really invest in me that God had that perfect person for me and to have fun, enjoy life and let God truly, fully work instead of focusing so much on having that boyfriend.

Magnetic helps a girl switch her focus; from fixating on finding a guy to focusing on The Guy – Jesus. When I was growing up, we were told to make a list of what we were looking for in a guy. I still think that is important, but I think the more valuable thing would have been for someone to teach me to be the girl with the character not just look for the guy with the character.

This book is so timely. I have a 15 year old daughter and just within the past few weeks I have discussed with her that God loves her more than anyone else ever could and that I pray for her to feel that love above all else. I also pray that she sees herself the way Christ sees her. It is such a difficult age and I pray I can be a good example and have encouraging words for her.

I so wish I had known God’s unconditional love for me when I was a young girl! That love would have saved me time spent looking in the wrong direction and made me a stronger woman today. I want so much more for my daughter. I think that is the circle of life – we learn from our mistakes and hopefully teach our children better with God’s and Christian girlfriend’s help!!!

I wish as a teenager someone would have told me that “As a child of God we were DESIGNED to find our identity, our significance, and our confidence in Him”. Knowing this, I would not have been looking to guys to make me feel valuable and confident. Thank God it’s never too late to learn. 🙂 I would love to win a copy of the book, Magnetic, to share with my mentee.

I wish someone had told me that God was who I was searching for when I was growing up! & That trying to find the right guy on my own was a waste of time. Best advice (finally), never date a guy you would not marry & most guys are a version of their dad. If you like their dad… You’ll most likely like the son, too. Now, I’ve been married 19 years & am trying my best to raise my own daughter on the right path!

I have 4 grand-daughters, 5, 7,10 & 11 that I am praying for daily. Mostly about their self-confidence and self-worth. I reaffirm their beauty and success whenever I talk with them. Our women’s study just studied about God’s daily pursuit of us and the romantic relationship we can have with Him which has triggered my prayer to be an openness for them to have with the Lord gaining them the desires of their hearts thru their relationship with their Heavenly Father rather than seeking to be fulfilled by things of the world. This would be a great resource to use with them. Blessings!

I love my three girls. The best advice I could give my daughters from my mother is,”Do as i say not as I do.” My mother was not perfect, she made a lot of mistakes,as I do daily. She was an alcoholic and drug addict. I am neither by the Grace of God. I know I make lots of mistakes getting angry and saying things that I shouldn’t and more. I love my mother and also by the Grace of God is in recovery here to share in the love of these beautiful gifts from above.

I wish someone would have told me to focus on God. Grow your relationship with Him first. Pursue Him above all else. I hope I can teach my daughter’s to pursue God and help them understand how much he loves them!

For me had I know how valued I was my life would have taken a drastic turn. The last of six children I became the forgotten child for most of my life….but true to His Word. I have found that I am valued, loved, and pursued by a Heavenly Father who loves me. I pray that my daughters will know this same love in a deep and meaningful way. Blessings.

This sounds like an amazing book. Wish I had this book when I was growing up. This would be such a wonderful experience for my daughter, who also struggled with the same thing and now has two daughters – ages 7 & 11, to share the wisdom in this book with them.

Love the pic of Aster!! This is a book I needed and one I can’t share with my girls and nieces. Such an important life changing message!! Thanks for sharing!!
Loved “seeing” you on the webcast the other night!

I am currently raising 2 girls on my own, age 8 and 15. I ran from God for a LONG time and have just recently found my way home. I pray daily that it is not too late to teach my oldest daughter that God loves her more than anything and that the issues she has with friends, school, and boys aren’t the end of the world.

I have 4 daughters. The oldest is 22 and my youngest is 6. I also have a 12 yr old and a 15 year old. This book would be such a blessing to help my daughters to realize that THE GUY they should focus on is the One who will never leave them or forsake them. Thank you for writing this book and helping young women to realize their value and the respect they deserve. God Bless

Oh so much truth in what Lynn has written in that first chapter. I remember oh so well those days and as I sit and reflect, I wish I had known the depth of God’s love for me. I knew he loved me, but didn’t comprehend the depth. Nor do I today @ 50. What a treasure it would be to know fully and completely that he is the ONE you should be pursuing and everything else would fall into place. Would love to win a copy of this book. <3 Blessings!

I appreciate your comment. I knew God loved me too, but I didn’t understanding the implications of that. Knowing His love and relying on it would have made an major impact on my life when I was younger.

This book is a book I would like to read for myself and use to mentor other girls and women alike. Girls this day and time need these insights more than ever. It seems that everything focuses on the outward appearance instead of the inward beauty of the soul. Jesus pursues us and all we have to do is turn around and embrace Him for all the love we need. God wants us to edify one another, support one another and mentor one another. Thank you for the opportunity to register to win this book. Thank you for the tidbits from this book. Have a wonderful day and bask in the sunshine of God’s love.

Wow, this book seems to be very interesting. Even though I don’t have a daughter, I could give this book to my 3 nieces who could learn so much about loving themselves and loving God. I wish as a young girl growing up, I would have had a book like this one to read. In today’s time there are so many good books that are written based on God’s word and how w should follow His will for our life. Thank you for sharing this book.

Oh how I wish when I was a teenager that I knew how truly loved and special I was. But instead I believed so many of the lies and insecurities that were around me. I was hurt and damaged for many years. I never want my daughter’s to go experience the things I did when it came to getting boyfriends and how I looked at myself.

If I had wisdom to pass on to my granddaughter is love God with all your heart and run every decision your about to make by God. Thank you for your book and all the P31 books. They have helped me so much, I wish I had known what I have learned when I was still a child. Love you.

I wish I had this book when I was a teenager, I wish I knew the Lord when I was a teen. Sometimes I think if I had these things maybe I wouldn’t have made certain choices I made. I would love to win this book. I can see myself and my 8 year old (2nd child but the oldest of three girls) cuddled up reading chapter by chapter right before bed, then praying all these things for her. I don’t want my kids to make those same decisions I made and think they need the love of another to made whole and need to be seen by the opposite sex to have value. When God sees them and values them, they are princes and princesses of a King!

I truly believe the most precious gift we can pass on to the girls in our life is to teach them to see who they are in Christ. When we get our eyes off of the World’s definition of beauty and focus on the truth of God’s Word- it is life-changing. Then we are free to share His love with others!

I so wish that I would have had this book to read years ago as a teen and even with my daughters. My oldest is in her 20s and the youngest just went to college she is 18. But I would love to still have a copy of this book to share with them and with other young girls… I work with the 6th grade and our youth at church…

Sure wish I had this when I was a teen. However, 45 years later after trials and heartaches, I am blessed with a wonderful man. I would love to have this book, though, to share with my young adult daughter that has been burned too many times. This excerpt in today’s devotion could not say it better. Thanks for sharing!

Having 3 girls, I pray they have the confidence to know who they are in Christ and a desire to lean on Him. I know that if I had this type of mindset, I would have viewed life experiences differently. Each experience shapes us and life would be so much easier if we had God’s plan in mind. Of course, all things happen for a reason, and God’s perfect plan.

Wish this book was around when we moved onto a Bible college campus back in the 60’s. I was 16 and had to go by the college rules along with my parents! I probably would have an easier life, but there was no one to coach us through this move. I think this book would be great for my daughter who has a daughter of her own. My daughter and her family are not living for The Lord and I Pray for them daily. Thank you!

I was told to not settle for someone who just liked me. When I met my husband I knew he was the one God sent for him. He was head over heels and not afraid to show it. But he wasn’t possessive. He was happy to have me pursue my goals and dreams. We truly are a team. I’m so thankful that I waited for him.

I need this book for my granddaughter. And for myself. We have this 13 yrs old girl living with us and she is so unhappy and hard to talk to. As a grandmother that never has had girls around, I don’t know what to say or how to lead her in the right direction. I need lots of God’s teaching.

I wish I had know as a young girl that God was who I was searching for. It would have saved a lot of heartache. At times now I can still feel my heart tugging to search for that perfect mate when Christ has already been that for me. I have a 19 year old daughter that this book would be a blessing to. I pray the man we both are destined to meet will find us instead of us seeking. Blessings

We went to church as a family growing up, but, really didn’t talk about the Bible or God at home, or were we encouraged to pray for Godly men! 🙁 I would like so much better for my daughter!! I am praying for her future husband, if there is to be one, now! 🙂

I always knew as a child God loved me, but after being sexually abused by my older brother, my self worth declined. I tried very hard to teach my daughter, who is now 23, how special she is & how much God loves her & has a special husband chosen just for her. I am still working on these lessons! My hearts desire is to also mentor my 2 great-nieces (the granddaughtera of my brother) so they do not have to suffer horrible acts as well. Praise God for His love and grace.

I am a mother of 3 daughters. One married with two beautiful chlldren. I being a grandma. It is like my Heavenly Father has redeemed the time for me for those years I felt I lost raising my own children when they were 3 and under. I didn’t know and understand the love of my Heavenly Father, my ‘identity’ IN Christ.
Always in the competition in the ‘middle’ of seven children. My mother was very insecure herself and raised by her mother. Her dad was an alcoholic who left when she was 2 years old. Never to see him again. My mother had a lot of issues unresolved as my father did also. My dad fought in the Korean War and was badly injured and emotionally scarred by it. He was an alcoholic and suffered with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which was not diagnosed for years. They met shortly after he had come back from the war to recuperate from his injuries. Then they were married.
I do remember my mother taking us to church every Sunday. My father never came even though he was raised as a child in the church. We didn’t talk about that. “Do as I say not as I do.” Which gave very mixed confusing messages.
I saw religion but never really understood a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father until I was married and had 3 children of my own. Didn’t know my identity in Christ. I was always looking for acceptance.
I made many mistakes raising my daughters over the years. I have learned and am learning about the Love of my Heavenly Father and His infinite grace, mercy, love and hope.
I wish I had this book years ago when raising my daughters. I have the opportunity now to walk the talk with my daughters as they are young women and with my grandchildren. I thank my Heavenly Father for His GREAT LOVE and FORGIVENESS. I thank Him for the Body of Christ.
I would love to be able pass this wisdom and blessing on to them.
Blessings to you

Unfortunately, I never received any moral, Godly advice from either of my parents as I was not raised in a Christian home. My Mom was wrapped up in herself during my dating years and my Dad was clueless as to what to tell his teenage daughter about love and boys, etc.

I am very grateful to God that he brought a man into my life who is a God-fearing, spiritual and financial provider for our family. We have 2 biological and 2 adopted daughters (9 & 8) from China. Life has been a blessing due to focusing our goals, dreams and desires of our hearts around God. Would love the book to share with my youngest daughters. You are a blessing, Renee! Thanks for your inspiration! Love, Hugs & Blessings~

I would love to share this book with a Friend as she has a 8 yr. old Step-daughter and she just took on her sister-in-law’s 2 boys and 5 yr old daughter. So these are her babies and I think this would be a great book for her to share with the girls. I needed something like this when my daughter was growing into a head strong lady.

This looks like a great book to share!! I have 3 granddaughters who I would love to share this with. I wish I had had this when growing up. My grandmother was my Christian mentor who I tried to pattern my life after. Now I am trying to leave a legacy for my daughters and granddaughters. Thank you for sharing an excerpt from this book it looks as though it would be worth the purchase.

Along with many others, I too wish I would have know this as a teenager. I have been blessed with 3 beautiful daughters and each of them have also struggled with their own self esteem issues & dating. I feel each of us as we were going through our teen years felt “Mom” doesn’t know anything, so when we were told at that point to seek God first, it wasn’t truly understood and since “mom” said it, we just put it aside. At this point in my life, I have also been blessed with 2 beautiful grandchildren and they are 2 & 3 years old. I really feel this is the time to start letting them know how truly loved they are by our Heavenly Father. Build that love for the Lord now and hopefully it will stay with them not only through their teen years, but through their entire life.

My father encouraged me to not “go steady” (45 years ago in my day, that meant dating someone exclusively). He said it was so that when a boy asked me out on a date, I knew that he really wanted to be with me vs. ‘having’ to go out with me each weekend. His real motive was that he knew that when couples become exclusive they run the risk of stepping over the line with intimacy. I never did go steady in high school though many of my friends did (and did cross the line). I would love this book for my two granddaughters.

It is my prayer every day that my daughter (who is just 7) will grow up knowing who she is and whose she is. That loving God and having a relationship with Him must come first. That she is loved by the one who created her and loves her more than anyone – including me. 🙂 I wish I had grown up that way. I spent so much time worrying about boys and who I would marry. No regrets anymore – just thankful for all God has done for me and how he has changed me over the years. I cannot wait to read this book and share it with my daughter!!

Never having a Godly father, I always searched for that fatherly love In all the wrong ways. Not until I’ve grown older did I understand and accept my true Father that I was missing all along. My many years of searching for approval and unconditional love is finally over. I would like to share this book with my 11 yr old daughter.

I so needed this as a teenager. I felt like I was a nobody because of people around me who would pick and talk about me. My Loving Mother pass it will be 3 years next month and she raised one of my great nieces who is so lost without her. She confines in me because I was always around helping Mama. I would so love for her to have this book. She’s in the 8th grade and she is still having a hard time accepting her Granny’s passing. I ask your prayers for Kajarian.

As a little girl if I had only knew that God’s love surpasses all things and is the only thing that can satisfy ones soul, I could have made better decisions and lived a happier childhood! I have two young daughters age 6 and 4 and my prayer for them is that they focus on Jesus’ s face first and foremost in all things they do and have him as their number one man…

Lynn’s statement – “But, you don’t have to burn yourself out trying to become perfect. These gorgeous qualities will show up as you spend time with God and He pours His perspective into you!” – gives hope to older ‘girls,’ too! MAGNETIC sounds like a great book for all girls. Can you imagine how different our world would be if every young girl would know the song “Beautiful – in His eyes” (and of course, the meaning behind that song) and would cling to that, especially during their teenage years? Sounds like a great give-away!!! Pam

Oh my goodness the things I wish I knew then that I know now. This book would have been just what my little soul needed because everything she described in this excerpt is so what I was thinking. I made a mess of me and only until I got older did I realize all the destructive choices I made. I would so love to win this for my daughter. She is so tenderhearted and it scares me to death. If I don’t win this, I am definately buying it for her. Thanks for all you do. I love my Proverbs 31 ladies.

I wish I could have realized just how much God loved me and how relentless His love is. When we realize this and place our focus on God’s love for us we can become truely beautiful and attractive to those around us. This book sound like a great tool to share with young women.

I want my daughter to realize that she is the only one like her in all the world, that God made her wonderfully, precisely and JUST RIGHT! I tell her these things a lot and it is what I grew up knowing about myself as I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home with two AWESOME parents. Unfortunately, just like me, she does not always believe me when she starts comparing herself to other girls…this book sounds like something that could really help her understand how to truly rest and strive to remain smack dab in the middle of God’s will for her life, no matter what is going on around her or what her friends are up to. As a young Christian woman, she, unfortunately, seems to be in the minority these days at school….she loves to read and I am sure would draw many truths and strengths from this book. She is 16 and there is no better time for her to really start “getting” this truth.

By the way I loved your Confident Heart book! Spoke right to my heart and felt like a friend in my ear the whole time I was reading it…especially the last several chapters.

I wish I’d had something like this when I was a teen. It would have helped. Maybe I would have learned it then instead of having to learn it in my late 30’s. God has been working with me in this area for a few years. I now know God loves me unconditionally just as I am and He has been the One perusing me for some time. I had and am still learning God is the One I need to be chasing after, not some guy. My prayer has always been that God would make me into the woman He wanted to be, that woman who loves and wants to serve Him. Maybe someday God will send that godly man I’ve prayed for and I’ll be the type of woman he’ll want. As time goes on my love for God deepens and grows and my desire to chase after a guy lessens. I am a work in progress.

Wow, how different my life would have been had I known these truths as a girl. I’m the stereotypical story. Divorced parents. Rarely saw (but totally adored) my dad. Only occasional, negative attention from my mom. Ergo, I go. Wrong direction, wrong guy(s), always searching, and not even sure what I was searching for, or even that I WAS searching. BUT – God uses ALL things for GOOD and for HIS glory. Because of my trials, and there were too many ugly ones to count, I believe God equipped me with the experience, knowledge, wisdom and tools to be His representative to my beautiful daughter (now 13). I know what I need to give her, because I didn’t get it. She DOES and WILL know that Jesus is her guy. I don’t know if I’m doing it all correctly, but God does. And with Him guiding me, how can I go wrong?! I’d love to have this book as a tool to guide my communication with my precious gift from God!

What an amazing opportunity, thank you! I have two girls under the age of ten, and my prayer is that they seek Jesus first, before all else…although like you, I know there will come a day when their attention will be turned to other things. The world is so full of distractions.

As a girl that was sexually abused for over 15 years of my life in various forms (molested, raped, maritally raped – from age 5 -20), I wish someone would have shared the truth of Psalm 139 with me back then – this Psalm has transformed the way that I think about myself and I taught it’s truths to my 3 daughters as well and now I am privileged to teach it to women at my church. This book sounds amazing and I look forward to reading and sharing it with the young women and mothers of girls at my church. Thanks for the blessing!

When I read this email, my heart immediately went to “my girls!” They are not really my girls. I do not have children, but oh how I love them and want to spare them the heartaches I had growing up. There are seven of them. I would be so excited to be able to sow this “powerful” message into their young lives. Thanks for giving me the chance at doing that! God bless all of you! You are ALL such a blessing to me!

With two teenage girls…and being recently divorced, wow could we use this book. I need these truths just as much as my girls. What advice do I have now that I wish I’d had? Exactly what this book talks about. Pursue God with all your heart and let Him shine through you. Let His beauty radiate through you and it will capture the heart of the one He has planned for you.

While my girls have already found the man that we prayed for in their lives and are already married, we have a son that is still single and looking for a Godly woman and I pray for her in this manner. After having suffered much ritualistic abuse as a child and through it all finding my Savior Jesus Christ, I really have involved my life in the lives of all women from birth to 90+ teaching them of the One who truly loves and infiltrates our hearts with His presence….Our Savior and Redeemer and Lover and Counselor……He is our One and Only! Thank you for sharing this book and I pray that it will touch many hearts of women out there who are still searching and still have a hole in their hearts that can only be filled with Christ! May we all continue to “live” in such a way that Christ is seen in use, our only Hope!
Blessings to you all!

I wish I had known the Lord as I was growing up. I have always compared myself to others and at the time did not realize that is a sin. God is working to help me change. I raised a son and daughter and wish I had know this for her. Now I have two granddaughters and would love this book to help me encourage them and help them to know all they need is Jesus. That others especially a boy can not give them the desires of their hearts. Thank you and God bless

As I look back to my teenage years, I wish I would’ve had the wisdom I have now…and even someone who would have spoke God’s truth into my life. I would have done things different if I would have known better. I don’t regret my past experience because it has made me the woman I am today and given me passion to share with young girls and young women what He has instilled in me. I am thankful for books like this because it is also what God has used to shape me and mold me into the woman He created me to be 🙂
It wasn’t until I had a true relationship with Him that I began to live out His beautiful truth for my life.

Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭5‬ NASB
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
God’s Word moves me to the place I need to be. When I am mentoring to my young college age, sisters in Christ, I point them to the Lord who made them and let Him minister to their souls. Jesus is the lover of our souls!❤️

My mother passed away when I was 12, so I did not have a mother/best friend in my life to help me through my teenage years. I did not have her to go to for advice on boyfriends, dating or other matters that a young girl needs adult female guidance with. I wish I could’ve had someone to helped me and mentored me during these crazy years. Someone to led me in the direction of seeking God’s help. Praying for God to send me the right mate instead of running wild looking for him. My son’s have a good Godly wife, that I am so proud of. But now we have the grandkids to go through all this with.

I wish I knew more about Jesus and his love for me when I was a teenager. As a teenager, I thought I was no one special unless a boy liked me. I wish I knew back then what I know now. Jesus is all you need and he will help me with all my needs. Now I need the help to instill this message into my daughter’s heart.

I wish I had fully grasped how much Jesus loved me just as I was and stopped trying to be all to everyone in hopes of being accepted. I pray my two daughters will full embrace God’s love and allow it to flow in and through them.

I wish I had known that God’s love for me would never change, regardless of the feelings of others around me, loved ones, friends, and especially boys. As a teenager in high school I used to tell my mom all I ever wanted to be was a wife and mom, but I worried about finding the right guy, and sometimes allowed my feelings and need for love and desire to be a wife and mom to get in the way of seeking God’s will for my life. I thank God for stopping me from making a huge mistake and bringing me together with my wonderful, godly husband who pushes me every day to seek the Lord. We now have a beautiful, sweet baby boy and I praise God for the wonderful blessings He’s given me! My friend, Lauren, is struggling right now, wondering when she will ever have a boyfriend, and I think this book would be a huge help for her! Thank you for your encouragement and wise words! God bless!

I am 57 & had no guidance from anyone, my mom was & still is a lost soul. I married 36 yrs ago for all the wrong reasons & so has my daughter for 11 long yrs. now. U now have a 3 yr. old GD I would love to save from this generational mistake. I think this book would be helpful to all 3 generations. I am the ONLY one saved in this mess & have been for 18 yrs. now.

I am 26 and single, and all i want to be is a wife and mom, but God has kept me from marrying the wrong guy twice now, and it feels as though i am never going to meet “the one”, it seems as though everyone around me is getting married and having kids, but some of the best advice i have ever heard was from a friend, who told me once that “Love is not a competition”. 😉 And too often i compare myself with other’s,wether its their relationship or their talents or beauty, and now every time i catch myself playing the comparison game, i stop and remember that ‘love is not a competition”, and neither is the Christian life, I just want to focus on who God made me to be, and serving Him, and be all that i can for Him wether i ever get married or not :), because life isnt about me it’s about Him, and as long as our focus is in the right place that’s when we have true peace and joy…..no matter what stage of life we are in.

I want my daughter to value herself based on the knowledge that she is already valued and loved more than she will ever know by her creator and not on what anyone else thinks of her. Chasing the fantasies of the “if onlies” will never bring happiness or joy to any soul.

I still think I need to hear this encouragement and I’m 32. I have an almost 2 year old daughter who looks up to me to teach her how to be satisfied by THE Man instead of a man and I wish I had had this confidence as a teenager and honestly now. After almost 8 years of marriage I found out my husband was unfaithful and he is no longer living at home with my daughter and I. I pray that in spite of the choices those around her make, my daughter grows up to be the confident, self-assured, God-loving woman that I wish I could have been.

To know that my heart had already been spoken for….that there was One who had asked me to spend Eternity with Him before I was even created…that the one I should search for here on earth, knew his heart had already been spoken for also….to know how deep, how wide, how vast was our ONE TRUE LOVE!!

Wow, I would love to have a copy of this for my 13 year old daughter. I want her to know just how wanted and precious she is. I want her to be confident in who she God says she is and in His love and passion for her.

I have two amazing daughters who are 11 & 8, and all I can pray and hope for, is that they continue to communicate with me throughout their growing years. Even when it is so embarrassing! I wished I would have had better communication with my own parents as an adolescent. I think it is so important that we allow our children, especially a girl, to know that she can talk with mom or dad no matter how embarrassing it could be. That we will be accepting and loving no matter what. To do that I do believe they need to grow up seeing mom as a vulnerable, yet strong woman. As well as hearing about how much God loves them, and sharing how important they are to us and such a gift from God. I do believe teaching and being a part of their communication is such key to a young woman being successful in giving her heart up cautiously to another human being other than God, mom and dad.

I wish I had been taught that not only could I have a relationship with my Savior but that He wanted to have one with me. It’s not that I was specifically raised to believe it was how I dressed and acted that would result in “that guy” liking me but I wasn’t taught anything that didn’t show me that. (I hope what I mean is understood. It’s hard to put into words.)

My beautiful daughter is 21. She has dated, yet she struggles with her self; insecurity, worth & loveliness in Christ.
Her father & I have prayed for the man He desires for her. We tell her to know Jesus to become & believe who He made her to be.
I struggled with the same. As her mom I love her fiercely, yet God loves her best. I would live to give her this book & own a copy of my own!

I have a group of girls I’ve been mentoring for a few years, I’ve been blessed to be a part of some of their lives since they were babies. My life has gone wonky in the last few years, let’s just say that I have had some major faith building experiences. One of the major things I’ve been working to stress to them is that they don’t need a guy to complete them. They are 22 and 23 now and at such a pivotal point in their lives. I share how when I graduated college, I had a 10 year plan…graduate, get a teaching job, get married have my first child within 2 years and my 2nd within 2 years after that. That’s exactly what I did. Then I tell them the one thing I forgot was God’s plan. I did it my way. I married, and loved dearly, the “one” God didn’t have for me. I had 2 amazing boys, but there was a lot of hardship that probably wouldn’t have been there if I had checked in with God. I explain that by not including God, by trying to be bigger and more in control, God’s perfect plan became God’s permissible plan. I stress that they are enough and are loved by the Creator. Walking with Him will bring His plan to fruition. I don’t want them to settle.

I have a daughter who will be 15 next month and we are struggling for her to see the inner beauty and peace she could have with a deeper relationship with the Father. This would be an amazing book for us to read together and discuss.

This message just electrocuted my heart this morning! Have been feeling the need for this message for myself, my daughter and the desire to teach other young girls the importance of God’s pursuit of and love for them, rather than their pursuit for acceptance and love from the “boys” of this world… I look forward to reading and sharing this book!

Oddly enough I think some of the best wisdom I know and saw lived out I learned from my Daughter! You might be thinking that’s backwards but God has amazing grace in how He teaches us! I know my mother and grandmothers were praying for me and for my future husband but I was’nt always listening or cooperating with The Lord in my life. Though I’ve been so blessed to watch my daughter grow through her trials as she waited for The Lord to bring the right man to her life. She did something very wise and began praying for her future husband as she read Stormie Omartian’s book of the same title. It shifted her focus off herself and onto The Lord and His provision for that man and also who she was to become in The Lord. She was married this spring to that wonderful man The Lord provided and as an added bonus we love his family too! The Lord is so wonderful!

I have a 15 year granddaughter who has found out the hard way, you can’t get a guy or keep a guy by the things you do or the way you look. She was very depressed for a few months. To the point she didn’t want to live. We where very concerned able her, she wanted to go to a different school. Her mother put her in Christian school, which my granddaughter had being wanting to go to for a long time. That has helped and she stayed several weeks during the summer with her sister. Her sister talked to her and that helped too. I feel this book could help change her life and see what is really important in life.

My 15 year old daughter desperately needs to hear that God loves her and notices her. We are going through a very difficult time and she tells me she feels unloved. She is hurting and nothing I seem to be doing is helping her. This would be a great book for her and I to read together.

I havea little girl, 1 year old and we’ve just invited a 16 year old young woman into our home as well. I want both of them to know how much God loves them and that only he can fill them! I want them to focus on being Godly girls and women rather than focusing on getting a boys’ attention. Because a nice Godly man will come along and sweep them off their feet when they are becoming the women God intended them to be!

Sometimes all the things we have to teach our kids is overwhelming. I would love this book to share with my daughter and all her friends and moms. We are all striving to the best we can to raise girls who love Jesus.

I was very shy growing up and afraid to talk to boys until late in my high school years. Growing up, I wanted to find someone who made me feel loved. I thought maybe a boy could really love me. I can totally relate to putting so much feeling into a crush! But, I didn’t feel worthy of their time or attention. I wish someone had told me then that I could have a relationship with Jesus, that He loves me totally and completely and that I am worthy!

Thank you for writing this book. This is just what my two teenage granddaughters need. Would love to win
a copy for them. They need this information! Thanks again for offering this so appreciate it. I wish this book had been around when I was growing up, things would have been very different now.

I am still what I consider a teen and would really benefit from this book. I deal with a lot anxiety and this book would show me what God would want me to do. I still don’t know what he wants for my life.

Why is it such a struggle to come to the realization of how completely beautiful and valuable we are to our creator. The one who made us and loves us without reservation. It doesn’t seem to matter what age we are- it’s still a struggle.I am a grown woman and still have to remind myself that I am cherished – daily – and loved completely. Thank you God! How important it is and also special to share in the mentoring of our daughters, nieces, granddaughters, friends, students, etc. A book such as this is such an asset. Thank you!

I spent most of my teen and early adult years chasing all the wrong things. I knew the truth, but somehow didn’t truly understand the Holy Spirit. There was a hole in my heart I kept trying to stuff full of anything that brought momentary peace. Wasn’t until a few years ago, the Holy Spirit showed me the Truth. http://heavennotharvard.com/2014/07/22/packing-peanuts/

She was only 16 when her Dad was killed in an automobile accident. She held it together better then I did. She knew life had to go on. So, she took care of her three little brothers. She cooked, cleaned, did her homework, and made sure their homework was done. She did the laundry, and took care of her mother, when it should have been the other way around! Two years later, when her Mom met someone else, and fell in love, she confided in her, that she never would have left her Mom and went off to college, if her Mom had not found someone else to love her and to take care of her! She is unselfish, beautiful (inside and out),and she always puts others’ needs ahead of her own! If she doesn’t deserve this book and this trip, I don’t know who does!

I want our daughter that is 15 to always know and own in her heart that she is a princess of God. I also want her to know that her dad & I have been praying for many years for God to be preparing the perfect husband for her. However, this is completely contrary to what she sees on TV, in magazines and at school. This book would be perfect for her!

I have 3 neices. One is 11 yrs old, her mother passed away 4 yrs ago, and although her father is in the picture he’s pretty much nonexistent in terms of spending time with her and encouraging her. I want her to know who she is in Christ and much He loves her before she looks for attention in all the wrong places and people. My other two neices are sisters and their parents are going through a divorce. They have been in an unstable environment for the last two years, watching their patents fight, watching their mom and dad’s new boyfriends/girlfriends come and go and trying to make sense of it all. I don’t have kids, so I find it hard to connect with them, but I try to love on them, encourage them, pray for them, and show them Jesus when I am able to spend time with them.

I think I was told, but it didn’t fully sink in until later in life. Any guy who causes you to compromise your beliefs/morals is not worth your time. Its so hard for young girls to realize this when they’re in the middle of it, caught up in emotions. But, if they can truly come to realize and understand this, they’ll be saved a lot of pain and heartache.

Growing up I always thought I needed a boyfriend to fill the void of an unhealthy father relationship. No one directed, encouraged, or pointed me to the One True Father to help fill that hurt and void and I wish I would have had that direction at that point in my life. Thankful for the mentors, leaders, and authors out there who are helping young girls and women with this issue of self esteem and worth in God’s eyes.

Am helping to lead a study with jr. high girls and this book would be great to receive to help pass on what I didn’t fully understand or receive – thanks for your book.

My prayer for my 3 teenage girls and 2 nieces is that they will have confidence based on who Christ says they are and realize that He is the only One who can satisfy. I would have made better choices if I had listened to such advice. 🙂

Renee, I wish I would have listened to my mom who told us everyday that God loved us and was an all knowing loving God…she would end by saying “God is good! I spent many years seeking love and finding none…what I wished I knew was that I was already beloved! I would love this book for my niece who just entered college and has already been in an abusive relationship…. thx for the chance to win!

If it doesn’t happen today it’s still okay. I used to think “it” needs to happen today or right now. It could have been fixing a problem, something I wanted to happen, what my plan was…. It was about control in my world. With God it’s different – it’s in His Timing, if it’s His will. He’s in control, I am not. He knows the beginning to the end, and everything in between. I don’t have to worry about it because He’s my father and loves me and knows my path.

I wish I would have been told that God’s love & His acceptance is ENOUGH and that if that alone is EVER *not* enough for any guy/man I might ever have been interested in hanging out with or dating, that he wasn’t worth spending any time with, much less breaking my heart over!! I wish I had understood that saying I’ve read time & time again, now as an adult, “A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her”… and that I would have had the skills as a young lady to have known how to be “hidden” in HIM!!

Now that I have a 10 year old daughter myself, I worry for her. I remember all the pain I went through, some of it I admit was sooo very recently. I want to shield her from the entire world, but especially from the pain that I know men cause. But, I also know that God created a very special man just for her…and I pray that He is preparing both my daughter and my future son-in-law’s hearts for each other… that they will BOTH keep their hearts so hidden in HIM, stay pure for each other, and be able to be the kind of married couple (and perhaps one day parents) God wants them to be. I pray that whatever the world tries to tell her she needs to be, that my daughter will be able to discern the truth and realize God has something BETTER planned for her. He loves her far more than what the world has to offer, and He wants to own her heart!!

All this, and more, is what I wish *I* had been told… I’m hoping that by reading this book together, perhaps, it will help open up doors of communication for me and my daughter at this critical time in her sweet life.

I’m so thankful that God placed the thought of this book on your heart, that you took the time and effort to write it, and most of all to share it with all of us!! I can’t wait to read it and share it with my daughter! Thanks again! God bless you and your ministry!!

Jesus Christ is my main man. This is what I have been taught. That Jesus Christ is my king of kings my Lord of lords,my Savior, my big brother, my dearest friend, my protector, my confidante, my husband spiritually andmy all and all.

I wish that I would not have been scared to be the person God wanted me to be. I was always so worried (still am sometimes!) of what people thought of me and was always trying to be the person I thought EVERYONE else wanted me to be. I pray for my 3 daughters that they dont fall into that as well and are proud to be the girls that God I intended them to be.

Wow! I can’t believe that I read this in my email this morning! I have been praying for a book or help to study this very subject with my 13 soon to be 14 year old. She has been asking me questions about when is it appropriate to start dating, and sharing with me about a boy she likes. We have had many conversations and have prayed together but she is struggling in her walk right now and I think this book can help! I would love to win it for us as I have a 9 year old who is watching her big sister!
I have struggled with this as I came to know the Lord in my thirties after I was married. My prayer is that my girls would love and know the Lord early on so they can have a beautiful life knowing the One, True King!
Thanks

Wow, there’s so much truth to this that I wish I had known and believed as a young girl and I pray I can depart to my girls early on. Mostly, I wish I knew earlier that His love is enough, and doesn’t need to be supplemented by anyone or anything else. I’m in my 30’s and still have to remind myself of this some days.

What a blessing it would have been to have a book like this when I was raising our 3 daughters, I can not even amply describe how this passage speaks to the depths of my soul. I have been blessed with the opportunity to raise my 5 year old granddaughter and I would live to win this book so that she would really know how valuable she is and how loved she is by our Father. She has experienced the loss of her mother, Erika, my middle daughter, who was 27 years old and hit and killed by a car on September 26, 2012 and now she has lost her grandfather( my beloved husband Carlos on August 10, 2014) who is the only father figure she has ever known and whom she referred to as “Daddy.” I would love to be the winner of one of these books becasue I think it would be a wonderful guide along with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in teaching her who she is in Him and how he pursues her continually . I believe that being able to read this post today was not an accident because it is truly th edesire of my heart for my precious and beautiful Aeriyana. Thank you for reading my submission.

My daughter is beautiful, smart & needs more confidence. Her dad has not been nice to her, hurt her self-confidence and she needs to know what an amazing woman she is becoming. I need to realize that sometimes too, because being a single mom has been hard. It doesn’t do much for my sense of self-worth at times, either.

I’m trying to use the “it takes a village to raise a child” philosophy. Trying to reach out & get the help she & I both need. Trying to always trust in Him to guild me.

I wish I had known that. I was raised very legalistically. I believed God was always angry with me. Jesus didn’t equate with love…..just condemnation. Very glad to be able to give the correct perspective to my daughter and granddaughters!

Oh I wish I had known this before then the things that I did and pursued I would not have done. I did things all for the sake of love from guys I was interested in. Not knowing that only God could and would love me perfectly and unconditionally. Thank you Abba Father for loving me flaws and all.

For my daughter: God loves you so very much. He will never leave you!
Her earthly dad did leave us. I pray that she doesn’t seek comfort from boys and men as I did growing up without my earthly father.

Wow, does reading this excerpt hit home. I have a beautiful 14 year old daughter who is a Freshman in high school. Would love to reiterate these truths to her in a meaningful , God centered way. Some times I feel like she wont listen to what I say just because its her “mom” talking. This would be a blessing!

I wish I had been able to have a mom who treated me as you are treating your daughter. I thought I was a Christian when I was raised, but have learned as life would have it for me that I was not. I was raised in a home where religion was most important, discipline more than a command and dysfunction the name of the game. What a “wonderful mess we all were !” We all knew our parts and played them well. Thus, my childhood was interesting….

When I was forty years old during the year following my “unfortunate divorce” from a dysfunctional marriage, what else would you expect !\? I began my search for God, the real God, the Lord and Savior of my life now ! He told me He loved me, created me Himself with tender love and care and that there was not another person created exactly as I was. He “Created me in His image and likeness, and had a special plan just for me.” He loves me so much that He even gave His life for my sins, something that I knew I did not deserve but have willingly accepted. His grace, love, mercy and forgiveness along with the “promise of Eternal life in Heaven with Him are the best gifts anyone has ever given me.

That is when I knew what being a “Christian” really was and have been so blessed as one that I share Him with others and tell them that they also can be one all they have to do is repent, and ask Him into their heart forever. Reading the Bible, praying and fellowshipping with other Christians is one of the best things that I have ever known. Each time I meet and am able to tell someone about the “True love of my life, Jesus”. It makes me smile and I rejoice when they also want to share in this joy.

I have been a Christian now for at least twenty or more years now and even during the suffering and testing times I have Jesus right beside me leading, guiding and protecting me all day long. Thank You Jesus for loving me so much. If you don’t know Him I hope this challenges you and that you also might want to be one of His Children. To be a Child of the King is more than I had ever dreamed or hoped for. I pray that this book and something I have shared might help someone to want to join this wonderful family of God.

I wish I had had the relationship with Christ that is developing in me now; it would have been a more intentional teen time. I have a 23 year old who is still trying to find that value that only Jesus can give.

I wished I had not worried so much about what other people thought of me, in all aspects of life. I wish I had “put myself out there” more. I was too timid and worried all the time (kinda like how I still am, lol)

Love Gods timing , I have been looking for a book for my daughter. She just started high school . It’s a new stage and this book would be wonderful for her to read each night. At this age they are trying to figure out so many areas of who they want to be .
Thank you for writing this book.

I wish i knew to turn to God when i was younger. I can remember sitting in my room almost daily feeling so alone, my mom would come and check on me and i would tell her to ‘leave me alone,’ and she did. Looking back, i was so lonely and depressed. I didn’t have any real friends. And i didn’t know how to ask for help. I want my girls to have the confidence to ask for help when they need it.

I was lucky to grow up in a very loving, Christian home where I was reminded often that I was loved by my parents and the King! When I left for college and learned to live “independently” I struggled with feelings of inferiority…..and sometimes still do. As I raise my two daughters, who are 15 and 18, I want them to know that their worth and value is found in the love Jesus has for them. I pray this over them as I watch them struggle with societal expectations of girls, the media’s portrayal of “beauty” and messages that measure them based on their looks. They love The Lord and I keep praying His grace over their lives.

God is working in me to realize that He is the one that comes first, not my husband, my kids, life. I’ve chased the elusive need to be liked and loved for so long. I’m now realizing that love is always available and I’ve been looking to others instead of The One who already loves me. I want to teach my daughters and me this each and every day!

I am a single 23 year old who has always come short of “perfect” every guy that has come along, I’ve always wanted to make him happy, and I would try to bend over backwards to do so, I never compromised my standards but if he thought something was wrong with me I would fix it…At one time I was confident in who I was in The Lord and knew He had a perfect plan for me, however, One double-minded man totally destroyed all of it, and degraded me physically and emotionally. When we first met everything about me was perfect and gorgeous, and he had made promises to marry me. However, the longer we were together the more he wanted to perfect me. I wasn’t gorgeous anymore “but you could be if you__________” I was devastated at this and worked rigorously to please him. However, it was all in vain for when he learned of other failures I had made he couldn’t handle it, and I was left with my face to the ground and no hope. I was only left with his harsh words and unrealistic expectations that screamed “what were you thinking? you will never be good enough” It is a year later and I am just now beginning to trust again, hope again and believe the truth of God’s Word that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, but I think this book would be extremely beneficial in my growth. I would like to be able to share it with my little sisters as well.

I have 2 girls, ages 12 and 5. I was given advice not to date any young man that you would not want to spend the rest of your life with. I want my girls to seek God first, that by being in love with Him, they will know when the right man comes along.

As a single mom to an 11year old girl as well as 7, 9, and 13 year old boys, I want all my children to fall in love with Jesus, before they fall in love with anyone else. I need to fall in love with Jesus every day so I can be their example.

This book sounds amazing…with 2 little girlies, I can’t wait to read it. I wish that I would have known (especially in high school & college) that I couldn’t do enough or be good enough on my own. I think I struggled to feel accepted & was the ‘good girl’ or appeared to be. Had I realized that God loved me right there…without all the effort put into being good enough or doing the right things, I may have stopped focusing so much on pleasing people & more on loving/glorifying God.

Being the only girl in my family..having two brothers, my a Dad & a Mother that never came around after her divorce from my Dad……I was alone. I really could have used advice, a mentor, just someone that cared enough to tell me how God expected me to live & how much He loved me. Even when I felt like no one did. More than 30 years later, married & the Mother of two daughters of my own, my heart’s desire is to give my girls all the love, encouragement & hope I can. God has blessed me so much & I pray He holds my daughters in His hands always! I need all the help I can get in showing God’s Word to them! I love them deeply. Almost as much as He does! ❤️

God was behind a curtain of ritual, performance, and tradition in my growing up years, and it seemed to be only perfection that could guarantee His love & blessing. The college years introduced the idols of intellectual recognition & material security as more attainable & fun to worship, but they crashed to the ground by the time I entered middle age. By God’s grace, He worked through my children to lead me to Him and to a life as His child, in spite of my years of not acknowledging Him. I want to read Magnetic by Lynn Cowell to find out what I may still be missing, and to reinforce in my granddaughters’ lives how lovable they are.

The best advice I had gotten as a teen was that love isn’t selfish. If someone is trying to get you to do something you aren’t ready for or is trying to make you feel guilty, then it’s not love. I did not have God in my life when I was younger. I hope that my daughters have been taught to value themselves and that God values them and true love is worth waiting for!

I wish I’d known Jesus as my Savior as a child, especially in my teenage years. I wish someone would have taken the time to teach me how much He loves me and that my identity is in Him, not in whether or not I’ve got a boyfriend. I’ve been blessed with 3 daughters whom I am trying to instill these truths in. <3

As a young woman, the most important thing I wish I had known was that I was already loved and accepted by THE most important presence in my life. It would have given me a peace and a confidence I needed so much. My own daughter turns 8 in just a few days, and whether I win a copy for her or go get one at the bookstore, she will be receiving this from me with a special note inside for her birthday.

I would love this book for myself & my four beautiful daughters. I feel overwhelmed at times because i don’t know if I’m meeting all of their emotional needs. I wish i knew how special I was to God growing up. I remember going to a new church & it was about God’s love. I had tears streaming down my face because it hit me for the 1st time how special I am to Him. I feel like I am learning along with my girls. I praise God for where He has brought me & that my prayer is that the girls can have this personal relationship with God at a young age.

I always said I was raised by Daddy God, my father loved me lots but was absent and my mother was broken winged…I’m so thankful for God’s grace teaching me when I was a little girl to depend only on Him. He was my fortress while being a young woman… I always said I would not marry if I didn’t find a guy who wholeheartedly lives for God. God is still my Daddy and my Protector and April I was married for 20 years to my best friend.
I have a princess of 9 years that need to know God is her Daddy for now and forever.

When I was a freshman in high school I had a crush on a boy. I spent so much time obsessing over him, it consumed me. He ended up dating another girl who never even showed interest in him, and she was a friend of mine. It hurt, but I realized then that I had the whole thing wrong. That was my last crush, things changed for me, but I still didn’t know that I need to fill that obsession with Jesus. thankfully, I met a man after I graduated college…who pointed me to Christ, his family loved me and taught me about a relation with Jesus and I am eternally grateful.

Thank you for this book recommendation. Our 10-year-old granddaughter would love to have a copy, and I would love to give her one! Thank you for your ministry, Renee. It is truly a blessing to me (and to my Bible study girls). Thank you!

I wish I had this book available to me when I was a young girl…..so much woundedness in my young life……and it’s definitely affected me as an adult. I pray for both of my girls….especially my youngest and would love to go through this book with her. A wonderful opportunity to connect and talk.

I wish I had even know what it meant to be a God’s Birl. That I was not defined by what someone thought of me. I wish I had only ever been a friend to a guy and left my time of being a girlfriend to later in life.

I ‘m 20 and have a younger beautiful sister who I really love and trying my best to get close to and I came across this on Facebook! Full praising mode!! That sneak peek was just beautiful and very true. The need for young christian girls to base their value on their faith and on our Father and the truth of His Word. Growing up guys were around and yes, my value was based on what they said about me and if they liked me, I was proud of that and did not know I was already being pursued by the God of the universe! and that He already noticed me. It is quite a battle even for myself growing up and having such a busy mother. I would absolutely would love this book for my sister. Personally, my christian journey started last semester when a Cru staff shared the KGP booklet to a friend of mine and myself and we both prayed to receive Christ. Its been quite exciting and I’m loving very bit of my new relationship with God. I shared the same “Knowing God Personally Booklet” with my sister 2 months ago and she prayed to receive Christ as well! Thank you Father! So yeah we don’t really live together and I try and head over and see her during the weekends, as much as I can since I’m in Uni. I think she would really love this and it could be something we could bond over especially when she’ll be 16 soon, hopefully Fiji citizens are included in this! lol … Anyways I just want to let you guys know that its really cool what you’re doing, and love your posts on Facebook! You’re such an encouragement to girls like myself and my sister and we just love what God has been using you for. Thank you so much and God bless!

I wish someone would have told me friends, money all the youthful things we take advantage of when we’re young come & go just as fast but God is always there by your side. Beauty is fleeting but wisdom is eternal…..

Don’t make any decisions out of guilt or fear. You don’t fix one bad decision with another bad decision. It’s never too late to start over. God loves you so much and His mercies are new every single day. Don’t settle. Pursue God and put your heart in His hands. When you do that, He will put your heart in the hands of a worthy person.

As a shy awkward teenager a simple “I love you” or “You are special” was much needed, but not even a hug was forthcoming from my mum. I know now that she was and sadly, still is, broken because she will not let God heal her. I thank God for a wonderful Dad who loved me unconditionallly and encouraged and nurtured my talents, who would quietly tell me that the man who loved God first and foremost and who loved me unconditionally (in that order) was a man worthy of my attention. I have 2 precious jewels who are reminded daily that Mum and Dad love them and that they are special to us and to God. By the grace of God both my girls and my son will never feel as worthless as I did back then.

Amazing excerpt and what a great topic! From this snippet, I know I need this book to add to my tool belt for raising a confident daughter. She is 8 and at a pivotal year. Can’t edit to read the whole thing!

I was a starving for love and affection from any boy that would give it. Even though I was a christian, my dad was sitting in prison for undetermined amt of years as a sex offender and my single mom didn’t have the tools to mother a growing daughter and how to guide me through my roughest part of my life. I felt like so unloved and wanted from my mom because she just wanted to do her thing.

So what I have done differently even though my daughter is 4 1/2 years old. Her daddy is a believer and we make sure she doesnt just hear how much we love her but show her. I take each day but so many days I fall and fail miserably as her mother but If I win this book that would be great because God knows I need this so I can be better mother to my growing daughter! Either way, it’s on my list to get!

I’ve gotta girl! And I’m so grateful for biblical/Godly insight to share with her. After becoming a follower of Christ at 30 yrs old, I learned that I could have minimized heartache, bad decisions rooted in insecurity, flat out SIN, etc. My desire is to have CHRIST shape my daughter’s character and filter all decisions through the bible. Ultimately, this is the way to make her life FRUITFUL in Him! I can’t wait to get this book…. Thanks for blessing women to equip young girls/ladies with a legacy of strength in Christ to pursue and share.

I wish my mother would have had the direct talks with me that I now have with my daughter. I learned a lot of life lessons about valuing myself the hard way. It is so important to hear I love you, and have heart to hearts about what God says about you. This book would be an asset to the example I now try to set for my daughter and the young girls in our church. I see and hear my daughter talk about the things that her friends and it hurts my heart that they have no true direction. I would love to share this book with our youth leaders.

I wish I would have had a mother or father that took an interest in the little girl that I once was. The lack of love and support tore away at my self esteem causing me to despise myself. I put on a protective armour to hide the pain and embarrassment I felt at being a child no one really cared about. I became a person I didn’t recognize or even like. It took until the age of 40 to shed the armour and to be comfortable in my skin. I’m not a tough person. I’m a sensitive person that can now allow feelings to show without having to be tough and hard to guard myself from the pain. I accept and release emotions freely.

The best advice I received as a young girl, came the day of my twelfth birthday. My mom took me out for lunch, (we had pizza, my favorite) a tradition she began with my older sister and practiced with all five girls as we turned 12 years old.

She then presented me with my first wrist watch a pastel pink Caravelle Bulova and a beautiful purity ring, with Psalm 61:10 engraved in it. Then she opened her Bible and read from the book of Ecclesiastes 3. We then had tea and cake, and talked for 3 hours about the “facts of life” and of course boys.

This tradition I have kept with my daughter as well. The memories are priceless!

I wish I had known that the God of the universe had created me in His image, and created a husband for me in His image. I wish I had waited on the Lord! Wait on the Lord, sit at His feet girls, soak up His love! It’s all you need! #magneticgiveaway

One thing I’ve always been careful of telling my beautiful daughter: ‘You are pretty b/c you have a pretty heart.’
I want her to carry the words of Psalm 34:5 deep within…”Those who look to Him will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” …because the world shouts the exact opposite every single day.
Being individually unique – when you so desperately want to fit in – is challenging for our girls. I want my girl to know she is so loved by Him.

I often wonder how different my life may have been if I had had someone to mentor me in this subject. I hope, with the Lord’s help, to be able to instill these important values in my daughter who is 10.

My daughter is the same age as your daughter! and i really appreciate how you care for her so much as a mom! as a mom myself, i want to be the best mom that i can be,the kind of mom that God wants me to be for her specifically! i am truly blessed to have her as a daughter and quite honoured that God have us her to love!
thanks for your story
blessings to your daughter she is beautiful.

i remember those years of empty longing. Looking back, I am so grateful for the Lord’s hand in my life that protected me from so many choices I could have made (and perhaps would have made) that would have caused a great deal of pain and regret.

To know that you will never know what love is until you experience the love the FATHER has for you. In today’s world the word love is thrown around lightly and with that people are hurt when things do not work out. Instead of rushing into a relationship with someone….RUSH into a deeper relations with God and experience that love first!